Shell.jpg
2020 Longlist

Shell

ABOUT
THE BOOK

2020 Longlist

In 1965 as Danish architect Jørn Utzon’s striking vision for the Sydney Opera House transforms the skyline and unleashes a storm of controversy, the shadow of the Vietnam War and a deadly lottery threaten to tear the country apart.

Journalist Pearl Keogh, exiled to the women’s pages after being photographed at an anti-war protest, is desperate to find her two missing brothers and save them from the draft. Axel Lindquist, a visionary young glass artist from Sweden, is obsessed with creating a unique work that will do justice to Utzon’s towering masterpiece.

In this big, bold and hauntingly beautiful portrait of art and life, Shell captures a world on the brink of seismic change through the eyes of two unforgettable characters caught in the eye of the storm. And reminds us why taking a side matters.

About the Author

Kristina Olsson is a biographer, journalist and award-winning author. Her second novel, The China Garden, received the 2010 Barbara Jefferis Award for its empowering depiction of women in society. She has worked extensively as a teacher of creative writing and journalism. She lives in Brisbane, Australia.

Librarian’s Comments

“Shell” is a captivating, ambitious and uniquely lyrical novel that shares a defining moment in Australia’s history: the construction of the Sydney Opera House during the Vietnam War. This sweeping Australian novel explores personal guilt, political upheaval and the importance of making a stand, creating a hauntingly beautiful portrait of Sydney. State Library of Queensland, Australia

 

ABOUT
THE AUTHOR Kirsten
McDougall

Kirsten McDougall’s previous novels are Tess (2017), long listed for the Ockham NZ Book Awards, and shortlisted for the Ngaio Marsh Award, and The Invisible Rider (2012). Her stories and nonfiction have appeared in Landfall, Sport and Tell You What: Great New Zealand Non-fiction 2016, and her story ‘Walking Day’ won the 2021 Sunday Star-Times Short Story Competition. She was the recipient of the 2013 Creative New Zealand Louis Johnson New Writer’s Bursary, and a Michael King Writers Centre residency in 2019. She lives in Wellington.

Kirsten McDougall’s previous novels are Tess (2017), long listed for the Ockham NZ Book Awards, and shortlisted for the Ngaio Marsh Award, and The Invisible Rider (2012). Her stories and nonfiction have appeared in Landfall, Sport and Tell You What: Great New Zealand Non-fiction 2016, and her story ‘Walking Day’ won the 2021 Sunday Star-Times Short Story Competition. She was the recipient of the 2013 Creative New Zealand Louis Johnson New Writer’s Bursary, and a Michael King Writers Centre residency in 2019. She lives in Wellington.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

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